Watch The Netflix Originals That Could Win Big At The Emmys

Remember the days when the family gathered around ye olde television and watched staticky episodes of shows which unfurled, hour by hour, over the course of a season? Neither do we. TV has changed drastically in a very short amount of time, and the fact that four of the seven shows in the Emmys' Best Drama category are from streaming services proves it.

One of the most palpable examples of the shifting television landscape is Netflix, which went from being that thing your cool friend used to order foreign films to her house, to what it is today: A streaming service producing some of the most refreshingly original programming around. CEO Reed Hastings stated that Netflix spent $6 billion in producing original content in 2017, and only expects to spend more next year.

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On Sunday, the night of the Emmys, Netflix’s investment might pay off. The streaming service could win its first Best Drama award for either The Crown, Stranger Things, or House of Cards. With 91 nominations total (only 20 fewer than HBO, the leader of the pack), Netflix is establishing itself as a lasting creative contender.

This was Orange is the New Black's most ambitious season. Set over the course of a three-day prison riot, Season 5 played with time and perspective in order to tell individual characters' stories, as well as highlight macro flaws in the system. Of the massive ensemble cast, Uzo Aduba, plays Suzanne, and Laverne Cox, who plays Sophia, were nominated for their work.

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David Giesbrecht

House of Cards (2013-present)Nominated for: Best drama, best lead actor, best lead actress, best supporting actor (six nominations total)Time needed: 13 hours

Unfortunately, we don't need House of Cards to play out all of democracy's disturbing possibilities anymore. CNN works just fine. Though if you're still into (fictional) dark political realities, then Season 5 of House of Cards should do the trick. Frank Underwood (Kevin Spacey) is beginning his presidential reelection campaign, and his biggest opponent is none other than his wife, Claire (Robin Wright), who's unleashing her own political aspirations.

For the past two seasons of this madcap comedy, Kimmy (Ellie Kemper) has been heroically avoiding dealing with her 15 years living in a bunker, taken captive by an insane cult leader. When Kimmy's contacted by the Reverend (Jon Hamm), she's no longer able to repress those memories. Kimmy's not the only one facing hurdles this season: Lillian's (Carol Cane) beloved neighborhood is being taken over by a grocery store conglomerate, Titus (Tituss Burgess) isn't coping with his breakup gracefully, and Jacqueline (Jane Krakowski) is developing a conscience.

Don’t worry. Your favorite wishy-washy, taco-loving, totally cuddly millennial, Dev (Aziz Ansari), hasn’t matured too much since Season 1 of Master of None. He still wanders around New York City in search of meaning and connection, and he’s still not sure how to get it. With poignancy and humor, Season 2 explores topics like online dating, the experience of being a child of immigrants, and the hunt for a fulfilling life, even if your day job is hosting a silly cupcake competition show.

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The Crown (2016-present)Nominated for: Best drama, best lead actress, best supporting actor, best directing (13 nominations total)Time needed: 10 hours

You know her as Queen Elizabeth II, the steely, enduring matriarch of Great Britain, who is constantly trailed by a flock of corgis and her country's weighty history. The Crown will add depth and nuance to your understanding of this fascinating woman. Though she was primed to be queen from the start of her life, Elizabeth never expected to be queen so soon. When her father dies after a quick-moving illness, Elizabeth, a young mother and wife, must assume a heavy crown.

Strange things are happening in the town of Hawkins, Indiana. Will Byers (Noah Schnapp) goes missing. Most of the town takes Will for dead, except for a stubborn group of conspiracy theorists (a.k.a. his best friends and family) who believe something supernatural is at work. His mother (Winona Ryder) thinks Will is communicating through flashing Christmas lights, and after meeting a mysterious girl named Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown), his gang of bike-riding friends think Will has been brought to whatever strange place Eleven is from.

After watching Orange is the New Black, watch 13th, a documentary about the link between racism and this country's prison system by Ava Duvernay, and prepare to be incensed. Sorry for the spoiler, but 13th already won the Emmy award for Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Special.

13th already won the Emmy for Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Special, but Amanda Knox is worth watching, especially if you followed the Meredith Kercher murder case. Amanda Knox was accused of murdering her roommate in Italy in 2007, and later exonerated. Instead of coming down on one side, the Netflix documentary exposes the effects the highly sensationalized trial had on everyone involved, Knox included.

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